Macklemore concluded his Free Palestine tour with a rousing show at London’s Wembley Arena on Friday night, telling his audience: “I don’t believe that staying silent is brave.”

The US rapper was thrown into the spotlight after being axed from Ed Sheeran’s tour in September, over his public remarks in support of the people of Palestine.

Sheeran said in a statement that it was his promoter’s decision to drop Macklemore, real name Benjamin Haggerty, and that venues set to host his shows had threatened to cancel if Macklemore remained on his tour.

As well as performing alongside a lineup of special guests including Paloma Faith, Aja Monet, Vic Mensa, Nemahsis, Lucas Jones and Cure for Paranoia, Macklemore addressed the sold-out crowd of over 12,500 fans.

“It was more uncomfortable for me to stay silent than to say something,” he said of the Sheeran controversy. “And I just want to say, I don’t believe that saying something is brave. I don’t believe that saying something is courageous. I believe that saying something is human. And those children in Gaza are our children. There is no separation.”

He continued: “I want to say thank you to every single soul that is in here tonight who decided to step up, leave their couch, be in community, be reminded and feel what that frequency of love feels like.”

Macklemore also acknowledged the 50 members of the House of Lords who urged the government to ban his London show: “Regardless of what the 50 Lords have to say, this is a story of equality for all human beings around this earth.”

As well as the live music performances, the show featured guest speakers Greta Thunberg, Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem, Cynthia Nixon and The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas, some of whom dialled in remotely.

All proceeds from the concerts held in London, Dublin and Paris will benefit organisations supporting Palestine and the Palestinian movement through humanitarian relief, medical care, education, advocacy, policy change and community initiatives.

Macklemore launched the tour on Monday (26 October) at the 3Arena in Dublin with Irish singer Hozier, Belfast rap trio Kneecap, and Beoga, the Irish folk band that withdrew from Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore.

“Six weeks ago, it was two words. Two words is all that it took. Two words that are rooted in love and liberation,” Macklemore told the audience.

“Not against anybody, not divisive. Not a call for hatred. But a call to recognise our shared humanity. Free Palestine. I said, free Palestine!”

In an initial statement, Sheeran said that he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine”.

He said venues had objected to how Macklemore had delivered part of his message, “rather than on everything that was said”.

“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,”he added.

The fallout to his statement led every remaining support act on Sheeran’s US tour, as well as his backing band Beoga, to withdraw in solidarity with Macklemore.

Sheeran then delivered an emotional speech to his audience at a concert in Philadelphia: “I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,” he said.

“My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. […] What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable, and disproportionate.”

Sheeran told the crowd: “Honoring my commitment to my fans is also completely essential to who I am, and that is why I’m here tonight on my own and continuing my current tour.” The singer added that he was “deeply worried about the idea that venues pre-approve content for performance. […] This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.”

In September, the Palestinian death toll surpassed 74,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Almost 1,200 Israelis were killed in the 7 October attack in 2023.